Pokemon: Endgame
by Magmakin
Summary: Welcome to the end of the world. Pokemon have started attacking humans, brutally and ferociously. Can anyone survive the world where everything is trying to kill you?
1. 1 - Birth By Fire

Chapter One – Birth by Fire

The long grass whipped at their feet as Max, Simon and his Dad sprinted. The fire was hot on their backs. Max couldn't process what was happening. He just ran.

He couldn't remember whether it was his lungs or his legs that gave out first, but it wasn't until he stopped that they all finally turned around. The flaming wreck of Sable City crumbled in the distance. His mother's screams were still echoing in Max's ears. He ignored the hand that he could feel on his shoulder. She was gone. Tears flooded his vision.

People were talking but they sounded miles away. How many people had still been caught in the blast? How many of them were alive when it happened? The tongues of fire licked the night air triumphantly. They tasted their victory.

His eyes stung. Max? He let the knife slip from his fingers. Max? The blood stained blade thudded against the dirt.

'Max!'

Two hands were on him now, turning him away from the horizon. Simon's dad. Duke.

'We need to keep moving, ok?' he said, quietly.

There was a tenderness in his eyes that clashed with the urgency in his voice. Compassion verses fear.

Duke shook his shoulders. 'Max! We need to get out of here.'

Max looked around at the people who had made it. There were eight of them. On Max's right stood Claire Dowell, a girl two years above him and Simon. Max assumed that the boy standing next to her was her brother. Slightly further away stood an older guy, maybe around fifty? On his left there was a family of three. The mother cuddled her two crying daughters.

Struggling to catch his breath, the man on Max's right spoke up. 'What… the hell… just happened?'

Duke turned to him. 'Didn't you see?'

'See it?' The man spat. 'I was in bed.' He gestured to the dressing gown that hung from his overweight body.

Duke's eyes flitted to Max, then back to the man. 'There was an accident.'

'An accident?' It was the mother's turn to talk. She sounded terrified. 'Riley, the Pokemon were attacking. Attacking people. They've gone insane.'

The man – Riley – shook his head in disbelief. 'You're seeing things.'

'She's not.' Duke said, solemnly.

As the adults spoke, Simon moved to Max's side. 'Max?'

No reply.

'Max, what happened?'

Max just stared blankly forward. The teeth clamped down. She screamed. Blood arced into the air. 'She's dead Simon. Growlithe killed Mum.'

Simon's eyes stretched wide. 'But… but how?'

Again, Max simply stared. Behind them the adults started shouting.

'No Mary, those are our homes! I'm not just going to leave and let them burn.' Riley yelled.

Mary was in tears. Her daughters stood behind her, scared. 'Let the emergency services deal with it. Duke is right. We need to stay away from there, from those Pokemon, until we know it is safe.'

'And where do you suppose we go?' Riley snapped.

'My cousin has a ranch just through those woods.' She pointed away from the city at the nearby trees. 'He has more than enough room for all of us to stay the night.'

Duke nodded. 'Officer Jenny said to head to Viridian, but that ranch sounds like a better idea.'

Riley was still not convinced. 'What about any other survivors? We were on the outskirts. There are more still to come.'

'There isn't that much room, Riley.' Mary responded.

'Besides, we don't know how much of the city was effected.' Duke suggested. 'It may have just been our neighbourhood.'

'Most people are probably safe.' said Mary.

There was silence. Riley frowned and shook his head.

'I'm staying. I won't- Ah!' He flinched, kicking out with his leg. Something clung to it, biting down. Blood trickled from the wound. 'Get it off me!' he shrieked.

Duke was by his side in a moment, grabbing at the creature. Simon was right behind him. Max stared as Riley fell, limbs thrashing, disappearing into the long grass.

Mary ran to his aid but Claire and the other guy backed away, scared. Mary's girls kept their distance. The grass thrashed. Riley's yells of pain were joined by Simon. Something sparked in Max.

Moving swiftly to their aid, Max finally saw what was happening. The four of them had fallen to the ground, which was alive, writhing under them. Small creatures scurried over them, biting and scratching. Their purple fur was matted with blood. Rattata.

'Max! Help!' Simon screamed and Max dropped to his knees, pulling at the rodents that climbed across his friend.

Simon's jeans were torn and stained with his blood, but his legs held as he got to his feet. He stamped down. One of the Rattata burst under his foot. He turned ran to his father who shielded his face against three of the creatures. They bit into his forearm, their teeth slicing through his russet skin. Duke cried out in pain and slammed his arm down, trapping them against the dirt. They struggled and he pushed harder, crushing their windpipes.

'Someone get this thing off of me!' Max heard Riley call and turned to see the man on his back, scrambling to knock away the rat that was biting and scratching at his throat. Mary ran forward, swinging her bag. A dash of blood corrupted the pristine white leather and the Rattata was flung through the air into the night.

Helping his father up, Simon stamped down again but the creatures were too fast. They scurried out of reach before grouping up and leaping at him. Five of them hit him in the chest and two in his leg and he dropped to the floor, hard. Their teeth shredded his t-shirt and blood began to cover his chest. He screamed out. Duke dropped next to him, clawing at the creatures. They were too fast. Slipping through his fingers one of them circled around and ran up Duke's arm and bit at his face. He lurched backwards.

His fingers clasped around the rodent and he clung on, gripping it with both hands. Grip tight, Duke twisted. The bones crunched. The lifeless creature slumped to the floor. Duke rolled over and back up onto his knees. His face dropped as he made eye contact with his son, just in time to watch his throat get torn out of his neck.


	2. 2 - Under The Moon

Chapter Two – Under The Moon

Under the light of the waxing moon Duke Forrester watched his only son die. Blood poured down Simon's neck and speckled the dirt underneath him. He choked as it trickled into his lungs. His eyes glazed over. He was gone.

Max had never seen Duke angry before. He was the sort of man that you do not think capable of anger. Watching him at that moment was terrifying. He leapt towards his son's lifeless body, tearing at the creatures that still chewed at his body. He crushed them. He twisted them. He tore them in half.

Seven people stood in a circle and watched a grown man cry. It was deadly quiet except for the slow sobs of the man on his knees. No one stopped him. Max wanted tears to come, but none did. His eyes still stung.

The buildings were still burning behind him. His home. His mother.

'We need to go.'

Duke was standing now, still looking at his son. Nobody questioned him.

'Mary, would I be able to borrow a shovel from your cousin at the ranch?'

She looked at him. 'Yeah, probably I guess.' Her daughters were again hiding behind her legs.

Riley spoke up. 'Duke. Your boy helped me when I was in trouble.' Their eyes met and the two men held each other's gazes. 'If you'll let me it would be an honour to help you bury him.'

Silence fell across the group again. Duke nodded.

'We'll all bury him.' Mary said. To Max it sounded like she was trying to reassure herself more than the rest of the group.

Duke's eyes flitted to the mother for a second. His expression stony, he crouched and heaved Simon's body over his shoulders. He felt a hand on his back, steadying him as he stood and turned to see Claire's brother, who smiled weakly.

'Dan.' He said. 'If I can help you in any way…'

'Don't worry about it. I've got him.'

He was a big guy, but he still struggled to carry the body. Simon's weight fell awkwardly and there was nowhere to grip properly. The trees stood before them. They were lucky, the trees grew loose and they could travel easily. Moss littered the dirt at their feet and bushy ferns grew around them, but they didn't have to struggle against branches or overgrowth.

The path was well worn and wide and although it was so well defined Mary felt it necessary to lead the group. Her children were close behind her and Claire and Dan walked behind them. Behind them, Max could see their hands clasped together. Maybe they weren't siblings. He, Riley and Duke brought up the rear. Max sensed his friend's head next to him, lifeless, bobbing along with each footstep. He made sure it stayed out of his peripheral vision.

In the last hour he had lost his mother and his best friend. Both had been killed in front of him. The events looped again and again in his head but they felt so distant. He was just an observer. These things weren't happening to him.

'Max?'

Duke's voice pulled him back between the trees. He was looking at Max with the same tenderness as in the long grass but instead of fear there was sadness. Vulnerability.

Riley was catching up with Mary at the front leaving Max and Duke a distance from the rest of the group. Duke was deliberately walking slower, falling out of earshot, and Max followed his lead.

'What is it?' he asked.

Duke struggled to find the words. 'Are you ok?'

Max stayed quiet. His eyes were fixed on the path.

'We've both lost the person closest to us. You've lost…' he trailed off. 'Look, if you want to talk to anyone then I'm here for you. I can't imagine what you're feeling right now but seriously, I'm here.'

'And same to you.' Max coughed.

'What?'

'If you need to talk to anyone I mean.'

Duke forced a smile. 'I'll be alright. I'm a big guy.'

Max finally looked at Duke. Simon stared back. His neck smiled at Max, drooling blood over Duke's shoulder. Red stained the blue shirt.

'Duke, you watched your son die and now you're carrying his corpse so you can bury him. You don't have to bottle up your emotions and hide to make me feel better.'

Stunned, Duke let out a little laugh. 'I'm going to head to Saffron. Janet needs to know what happened. I can't tell her over the phone.'

Max had only met Simon's mum a few times. She seemed nice. He didn't know what had happened between her and Duke but Simon used to say they split up because it just didn't work out.

'Come with me Max.' He could tell that it was hard for Duke to ask. 'I think we should stick together. I'll pay for your travel and you can stay with us. I guess…'

Duke paused. Again he struggled to find the words.

'…I guess I just really don't want to be on my own right now.'

Max didn't even have to think about it. He'd always been a good friend with Simon's dad. Duke would hang out with them like one of the guys. Duke was the dad he never had. And, like Duke, Max really didn't want to be alone.

'As long as I won't cramp your style.'

This time the laugh was genuine. Small, but real.

And it was short lived. A scream ripped through the forest, distant but strong. The whole group froze.

And then again.

'Help!'


End file.
